"Smart City initiatives and projects become increasingly important throughout Europe for several reasons but basically these projects focus on technical innovations (green urban technologies, ICT) and are often top down driven by investors, global technology concerns or building developers. This approach excludes other urban actors that could play a crucial role for the quality of results and broad acceptance of the solutions for urban challenges. The project addresses the most relevant urban actor groups of the sustainable city as target groups (decision makers in public administrations and enterprises, science, research, NGOs, citizens and civil society organisations) and introduces a training concepts for so called “smart city coaches” with a view to spread this role at different levels of society as multipliers for the development and support of smart cities. Participants: A) Governance level - Decision makers in public administrations (70), Decision maker in public owned companies delivering services to citizens (30), B) Business Level - Decision makers in enterprises (70), Decision makers at ""associations"" level (70), C) Citizens level - People from NGOs, interest groups, associations (140), representatives of ""citizens oriented"" services: schools, universities, etc. (140)Activities and methods: WP1 - PROJECT COORDINATION, WP2 - PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATIONWP3 - EXCHANGE OF PRACTICES: exchange process based on three concept levels and namely practices in the field of smart consumers, smart governance, smart enterprises and how these practices have been (or are) guided/trained (in other words, if a coaching/multiplying approach have been used or structured on top of these three “titles). A 5 days joint staff training event on the state of the art and needs, defining the framework for the development of innovative practicesINTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 1: SMART CONSUMERS, SMART GOVERNANCE AND SMART ENTERPRISES IN EUROPE – OVERVIEW AND BENCHMARKING OF RUNNING PRACTICES WP4 - INTRODUCE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES IN THE FIELD OF SMART CITY COACHING: DEPLOYMENT OF INNOVATIVE TRAINING MODULES. The project will not only further design these modules but also run a horizontal pilot phase in 3 Level 1 Pilot Countries (Austria, Italy, Netherlands) which will last 12 months). Level 1 Pilot Countries will elaborate and test the concept while Level 2 Pilot Countries (Hungary, Serbia and greece) will be involved in the elaboration process through dedicated sessions but will test the concept only at a second stage. A second 5 days long joint staff training will be arranged for coachers.INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 2: CROSS SECTORAL TRAINING MODULESWP5 - RECOGNITION AND DIGITIZATION This part of the project will focus on ""validating"" the concept, the methodology, extend its benefits at Eu level also through Open Educational Resources and a dedicated e-learning platrofm. INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 3: E-LEARNING PLATFORMWP 6 – EXTENDING THE PILOT. In order to extend the impact of this approach and fine-tune it according to other contexts, a second pilot phase will be introduced where the training and its tools will be tested (Greece, Hungary, Serbia). At its end the partnership will work and deliver operational, financial and policy guidelines in order to make replication and extended use of the smart coaching model happen.INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 4: RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATIONAL, FINANCIAL AND POLICY GUIDELINESMain results expected are: a) availability of checklist to identify training needs of the target groups related to smart cities, b) comprehensive list of training needs, c) State of the art / collection of training and capacity building approaches (for adult education) related to smart cities, d) Raised stakeholder dialogue and exchange of experiences and practices. The expected results on completion of the project: a) Development of innovative training concepts leading to high quality capacity building at different levels of society // integrating ICT-learning tools, b) Evaluation schemes of pilot trainings and availability of transferability methods, including a permanent e-learning platform, c) Smart city coaching curriculum for multipliers at different levels of society, d) Availability of protocols, revenue models and policy guidelines to expand the training concept.Short Term impact: mutual and interdisciplinary learning processes, contacts and networkss- increase level of knowledge based on exchange of international know how in smart city training withinLong Term impact: introduce concepts into daily practices, contribute to changes in communities and working environments, introduce training practice into ongoing professional training curricula (enterprises), qualification courses (public administrations) or educational contexts (schools, universities, etc.), increase qualification in future oriented topics andjob opportunities in the mid-term, develop ideas for improving the urban quality of life for (all) citizens."

Context:The VOICE (Volunteer Organizations‘ Input to Community Education) partnership project was set up to follow on a major objective, namely: to promote Community Education (CE) and to showcase the input of volunteer and (inter)cultural centers to Community Education. As the current dominant discourse around education for the economy seems to ignore the value and impact of CE and its importance personal development and strengthening communities, partners want to address this important and innovative resource of learning. The partnership was founded by 6 volunteer/(inter)cultural/neighborhood-centers across the EU, working on local level but representing different traditions of volunteering in Europe. The VOICE partners use this Erasmus project to create a platform for exchange expertise among practitioners from different European countries. During project implementation, 6 transnational meetings were convened, involving at least 18 staff members and volunteers working in CE programs. Furthermore, each partner conducted CE programs at local level, and attracted at least 300 participants in total with at least 90 of them being disadvantaged. Additionally, partners involved other local NGOs, (adult) education providers, stakeholder on local, national and international level.The 6 transnational partnership meeting were used to explore and discuss a) the value and impact of “Community Education”, b) the role of CE providers in local communities, c) Professional development of CE practitioners d) Success factors of CE programs, e) how does CE increase the skills, confidence, networks and resources of participants, and f) how does CE contribute to tackle problems and grasp opportunities, which occur within local communities. Additionally host partners showcased good practices of them in the field of Community Education. All their discussions, results and lead to the creation of an EBook and pdf document with recommendations on how to implement Community Education programs, including partners experiences and expertise in form of ‘good practices’ collection. This eBook can be used as a guideline for promoting CE and to disseminate good practices of partners in order for others to copy them. And within this partnership most partners copied at least one good practice, which was presented by a different partner. It is published on the websites www.volunteertolearn.eu and www.professional-volunteering.eu to be used as a tool kit and inspiration for other NGOs to start their own community education programmes.It is available in English, German and Romanian.Methodology of the joint work:Tasks and activities of the project were undertaken as described in the methodology on the original project application. Upon approval, the ultimate work plan and time schedule were agreed on by the partners during the first transnational meeting (TM) in Passau-Germany when the project officially took off. A total of 6 TM were conducted, each partner hosting one TM. The transnational meetings were a platform for exchange of expertise and experience on CE between partners: The meetings also served as a think tank were ideas around providing, improving, supporting, harmonizing CE were discussed. The result was the joint EBook. Additionally, the meetings were used to monitor the progress made, plan future activities, allocate tasks and agree on the mode of operation and feedback.Parallel with the transnational meetings, partners maintain special web-section for VOICE within their designated websites. The web-section provides information about VOICE activities locally and transnational. Results of this partnership:The two year project has been successful implemented. The VOICE project met all the pre-set project objectives as presented in the original project application and within the agreed time.oThe transnational meetings were convened as planned and each led to a chapter to the eBook.oPartners were able to exchange experience and expertise on CE with a potential of further improving and harmonizing CE across Europe.oMonitoring, evaluation as well as dissemination activities were conducted by partners as initially agreed in the original application. oAn eBook on CE including an input about the community education approach in learning, practical tips on the implementation of community education programs in local communities, the role and success factors of volunteer/ neighbourhood/ intercultural centers as important providers of CE programs, as well as a collection of good practices of learning and training programs offered by the involved partners. This eBook was and will be disseminated on local, regional, national and international level in order:a) to raise awareness for the importance of CE and its contribution to the education system and community development, b) to promote the staff development of CE providers and to strengthen the expertise and skills of CE practitioners